Becoming Our Own Leader Poem by RoseAnn V. Shawiak

Standing on corners of life copying the mail, watching people
as they go their way, doing what needs to be done, striving
to do their best, going to work, school, running errands and
never really thinking about any of it.

All are followers in one respect or another, we are taught
to follow from our very beginnings in life, listening to our
parents, going to school, listening to teachers, later going
off to work and once again listening to bosses.

We get inferior education in public schools where we are
taught to follow rules, are never taught to use our minds
creatively, and they are always discouraging integrated
thinking and becoming leaders, doing things our way.

Even when we go to work, we are put in positions of specialized
jobs where we are paid a certain wage, integrated thinking not
allowed, working in a stagnant job, going nowhere, feeling trap-
ped, having a difficult time paying for necessities and bills.

Then on top of all this we have our politicians who do the same
thing, being our leaders after we elect them, making rules, reg-
ulations, laws, much like our parents, teachers, bosses have done,
keeping us stagnant in a world of followers.

Keeping us down in life, taking away our freedom, we need to
break out of the mold they've put us into, becoming leaders,
self-sustaining, obtaining real freedom from others who want
to keep us from attaining power or control over our own lives.

Start thinking on our own, integrated and creative thinking to
help us free ourselves from this bondage that's been strangling
us through life, finding joy and happiness through our inner
strength, becoming our own leaders at last.